Canyon de Chelly and Toroweep Overlook....

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Signcutter21

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OK It's June 5 now. WHERE ARE THE PICS????? lol How was the trip? Did your family enjoy the US and trip? Can't wait for the great pics and trip report.

mike
 

AZKJ

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Mike, sorry for the delay. It's been a busy couple of weeks with the trip and showing Beth's cousin Allan, who is from the U.K., around.

We met Russ and Mary at the Rock Springs Cafe at 0700 on May 28th, in Black Canyon City for a four day trip through northern Arizona and southwest Utah. After a hearty country breakfast, we put the KJ's into the wind and headed north to Monument Valley.

The next morning we got up early, had breakfast at the hotel and then made our way to Canyon de Chelly, where we hired our Navajo guide. The trip through the two canyons was a real experience seeing the 1,000 year old cliff dewlings and all the rock art.

We were only able to get half way through the second canyon. We came across a muddy water crossing we couldn't get through.

The third morning we were up early again. It was off to Cottonwood Canyon in southwest Utah and a hike through Willis Creek Slot Canyon. Beth and I made it throught the first canyon, but being old farts, we went back to the KJ while Russ, Mary and Allan hiked a couple more miles through the rest of the slot canyon.

On the fourth day, Russ, Mary and Allan got up at 0400 to go over to Zion NP to climb a lookout to get some sunrise pictures of the park from above. When they returned, we all had another good breakfast at the B&B we were staying at (Allan sure loves pancakes and American bacon).

After breakfast we split up. Beth, Allan and I made the 60 mile one way ride on a dirt road to the the Toroweep Overlook of the Grand Canyon's northwest rim. Then we headed back going through Colorado City (a remote Morman community that practices plural marragies, which was lead by Warran Jeffs before he was arrested. From there we headed over to Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP over a pretty sandy trail before it turned into asphalt at the park entrance. Mary and Russ did their own thing and went back to Zion to do some hiking.

The next morning we said our goodbyes and left for home after yet another hearty breakfast.

Beth's cousin Allan, suited up this morning and headed off to California for his bike/camping trip up the Pacific Coast Highway.

It was a fun trip, with a lot of miles on dirt roads. Nothing ********, except for the water crossing we couldn't get across because of the mud.

Here are a few of the 728 pics I took on this trip...

Beth in Monument Valley at dusk...

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Russ by the canyon wall in Canyon de Chelly...

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The only tough spot on the entire trip. The mud here was too much for Russ' KJ. He might have made it with MTR's...

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Russ had no choice but to take the strap to get out of the mud...

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Beth, Russ, Mary and Allan at the entrance to Willis Creek Slot Canyon...

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Russ climbing up the canyon wall for a photo op...

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I'm waiting for Russ to post the pic he took from this vantage point...

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Russ on his way down where the canyon narrows at the entrance...

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Inside the slot canyon...

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Exiting Willis Creek Slot Canyon after the first set of narrows...

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One thousand year old cliff dwellings in Canyon de Chelly...

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Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP in southwest Utah...

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Beth's cousin Allan, trying some trail 'survival' food - Ritz Crackers, squeeze cheese and a Vienna Sausage...

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Up close and personal...

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The trail a mile from the northwest rim of the Grand Canyon...

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Toroweep Overlook of the Grand Canyon (Wells Arizona #1). The canyon here is one mile wide, 3,000 ft straight down AND no guard rails. Less than 5,000 people a year visit this spot because of it being so remote...

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1KOOLKJ on the trail...

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The Colorado River at Marble Canyon, where the Grand Canyon begins...

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Being from the U.K., Allen couldn't get over how easy it is to purchase a handgun and carry openly or concealed here in Arizona. I took him to the shooting range to shoot a few of my handguns.

Here's Allan showing off his dark side, holding an AK-47...

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Allan leaving for his seven day bike/camping trip up the Pacific Coast Highway...

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Till the next run,
AJ and Beth
 
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rkeegstra

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Nice pics!

Russ climbing up the canyon wall for a photo op...
I'm waiting for Russ to post the pic he took from this vantage point...

I promise I will get to looking through our pictures and post some (between the two of us we took about 1,900). Soon.
 

Signcutter21

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WOW AJ, another great set of shots. Love the Slot Canyon pic. Good write up too. Sounds like you all had a real great time. I'm bummed that I missed it. One of these days, right? How much did the guide run? Glad Russ was able to get a little help from his friends and get unstuck.

later,mike
 

AZKJ

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Thanks Mike!

We can put together another trip up there next spring if you want. We never get tired of going up there.

We couldn't leave Russ and Mary in the mud... they had the guide riding with them!!! :D

The guide is $15.00 an hour for one vehicle and $20.00 an hour for up to five vehicles. The more people the cheaper it is because we can all split the cost (we usualy spend a good 8-10 hours in the canyon). OR, we could do the 'Shake and Bake' thing instead of taking the Jeeps in and getting them dirty... yeah, right!!! :p

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I couldn't resist the urge to post up a few more pics taken in the canyon...

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o8k

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wow, what a cool trip! looks like fun...
 

rkeegstra

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More pix!

AJ's KJ in Martini Cave, so named because it is hung over.
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Horse Fight!
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We passed a guy driving a loader who told us that three Jeeps had gotten stuck at this river crossing. It's not mud so much as very fine sand, and our guide told us that everything they put down (brush, whole logs, gravel, large rocks) just sinks in. We got stuck - we could cross it easily enough, but couldn't get the rear wheels to climb out on the far side, and couldn't get the front wheels to climb out in reverse. The single best thing you can bring with you on a Jeepy trip is ... another Jeep.
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So we had to see Spider Rock from the top instead of the canyon floor:
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I'm waiting for Russ to post the pic he took from this vantage point...
...that would be this picture:
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Another Willis Creek pic - that's Beth way at the end of the canyon in the distance:
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And a shot from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon:
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And now a couple of High Dynamic Range pictures, made from combining a series of bracketed exposures:

Willis Creek:
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Sunrise at Zion, from the Canyon Overlook:
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Also sunrise at Zion, but looking back away from the canyon:
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Russ & Mary
 
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AZKJ

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Russ... thanks for posting, and you are so right about having a second Jeep with you when you head out to the trail.
 

jerbacher

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hey, i just now saw this thread as i'm usually on LOST and not on jeepkj very often. my family and i took a rental grand cherokee (wj) out to toroweep a couple years ago. very beautiful spot! theres another overlook out there in the same area, i believe its called tuweep but im not for sure. anyway, great pics and looks like a good time!
 

AZKJ

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Toroweep and Tuweep are one in the same. Different spelling for the same spot...
 

jerbacher

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Toroweep and Tuweep are one in the same. Different spelling for the same spot...

Right you are! I got out my map after I saw your response. On my map it shows Tuweep as being the ranger station a bit north of the overlook which is Toroweep Overlook. And it shows Toroweep Valley as being that area.

The other overlook I was thinking of is Point Sublime quite a bit to the East of Toroweep but not all the way to the visitor's center and all that stuff. The trail to Point Sublime branches off of 67 by the campground and North Rim Store and such. I actually found the road to Point Sublime to be more fun. Theres a lot of the road that is through pine forests and there were some washout with rocks and such. Nothing the rental couldnt get through though! Anyway, great area and lots of fun.
 

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